BEIRUT — Yahya Sinwar has been identified as the architect of a significant attack on Israel that has triggered a deepening crisis with no clear resolution in sight.
As the 61-year-old leader of Hamas, Sinwar played a critical role in shaping the direction of the conflict. Known for his obsessive nature and disciplined leadership style, he was a seasoned militant who spent years in Israeli prisons, where he mastered Hebrew and studied his adversaries closely.
On Thursday, Israeli forces claimed to have killed Sinwar in Gaza, with a high-ranking Hamas official confirming his death the following day.
Sinwar was a reclusive yet influential figure on both sides during the conflict. He was responsible for orchestrating the shocking attack on October 7, 2023, along with Mohammed Deif, the head of Hamas’ military wing. Israel reported Deif’s death in a July airstrike that resulted in over 70 Palestinian casualties.
His rise to power followed the death of Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas’ leader in exile, who died in an explosion in Iran that was blamed on Israel. Despite being in hiding, Sinwar was elected as Hamas’ top leader.
The October attack by Palestinian militants resulted in approximately 1,200 fatalities, predominantly among civilians, and around 250 people taken hostage, surprising Israel’s military and intelligence agencies and shattering their previously held images of invincibility.
In response, Israel launched a devastating counter-offensive. According to local health authorities, more than 42,000 Palestinians have died as a result of the ongoing conflict, which has also led to widespread destruction and left countless individuals homeless and facing starvation.
Sinwar participated in indirect negotiations with Israel aimed at concluding the hostilities, with one of his objectives being the release of thousands of Palestinians held in Israeli incarceration, mirroring a past deal that facilitated his own release.
He worked towards strengthening ties between Hamas, Iran, and other regional allies. The conflict he initiated extended to involve Hezbollah, culminating in an Israeli invasion of Lebanon, and marked the first direct exchanges of fire between Iran and Israel, escalating concerns about a broader regional conflict.
To the people of Israel, Sinwar represented a significant threat. Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, Israel’s chief military spokesperson, characterized him as a murderer and claimed he demonstrated that Hamas posed an even greater danger than ISIS.
In his public remarks, Sinwar remained defiant, once challenging Israel to assassinate him and confidently stating he would return home unscathed after a meeting, which he did, engaging with supporters in the streets.
Among Palestinians, Sinwar was simultaneously respected for his resilience against Israel and criticized for his ruthless governance in Gaza, where dissent was aggressively suppressed.
Unlike other Hamas leaders who cultivated public personas, Sinwar avoided the spotlight. He earned the moniker “Butcher of Khan Younis” due to his severe treatment of those suspected of collaboration with Israel.
Born in 1962 in the Khan Younis refugee camp, Sinwar’s family was among those displaced during the 1948 war leading to Israel’s establishment. He became involved with Hamas, founded in 1987 during the Israeli occupation.
Sinwar persuaded the group’s founder, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, to establish a security branch dedicated to rooting out informants, which he led. His activism led to arrest by Israel in the late 1980s, where he confessed to murdering 12 collaborators and was sentenced to four life terms for his crimes, including the abduction and murder of two Israeli soldiers.
Michael Koubi, a former Israeli security officer who interrogated Sinwar, recalled the chilling details of his confession, particularly one instance where Sinwar recounted forcing a man to bury his brother alive, which he described with unsettling glee.
Despite his violent reputation, Sinwar was known among fellow inmates for his charisma and ability to connect with prisoners across different political factions. He organized protests to improve prison conditions and dedicated time to understanding Israeli society.
During his imprisonment, he authored a 240-page novel that depicted Palestinian society’s evolution from the 1967 war until the onset of the second intifada in 2000.
In 2008, he overcame a severe form of brain cancer after treatment in an Israeli hospital. In 2011, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu included him among a group of prisoners released in return for captured Israeli soldier Gilad Schalit, a move that faced substantial criticism.
Upon returning to Gaza, Sinwar coordinated between Hamas’ political and military branches while staunchly working to bolster the group’s military capabilities, even allegedly orchestrating the 2016 killing of a rival Hamas commander in a struggle for power. He also expanded his personal life, marrying after his release and ascending to the role of head of Hamas’ political bureau in Gaza in 2017.